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Capturing Fun in Photography

It’s not always easy to capture the feeling of fun in photography. A ton of photographers have gone down the route of snapping shots at a fun event like a wedding or concert - only to have their scenes appear staged and wooden. You might be at the most exciting show of all time - but the act of stopping everyone for a moment and turning them to the camera to snap a quick pic is always going to look like a chore sandwiched between the fun moments you should be capturing.

Candidness is often the best way to instantly capture fun - but even this can be a bit tricky. For one, when snapping candid photos it’s very difficult to get the exact, funny images you want. Someone might be turned away or the lighting might not be quite right. Framing is trickier - plus, there’s always random, unpredictable occurrences with candid photography like the weather.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Here are some tips for taking fun, candid photos at your next event.

Avoiding awkward moments

It might be funny to snap a shot of someone else in a vulnerable moment. Maybe they’re in the middle of chewing on a jelly donut or telling a funny story. Of course you want to get a shot of someone in an animated position like that - but just remember that with funny images, timing is everything. A split-second can be the difference between an interesting, funny photo and one that’s just embarrassing and awkward for the subject.

This is why it’s better to use a semi-automatic mode on your camera. Most cameras will have “burst” mode (sometimes referred to as aperture priority mode or shutter priority mode) that will take a rapid series of pictures instantly and automatically to capture each step of a moment. This works best for fun, candid photos because you can go through the photographs and select the one that best captures the moment.

Create a scene with a zoom and auto-focus mode

When you’re taking candid pictures at an event - your framing, timing and situation is always changing. Generally you won’t have time to switch between lenses or reposition yourself - so it’s best to use a zoom lens that covers a wide range. This will allow you to quickly adjust the zoom and framing of your subject in situations where speed is important.
Most cameras will also come equipped with an auto-focus mode that will focus the camera automatically on a subject based on movement. This is usually best to use in candid situation because you don’t always have control over the movement of your subjects and their surroundings.

Be Confident

It’s important to be bold when going after candid, funny moments. With things like timing and positioning being so important, there isn’t time to second-guess yourself. You can certainly ask subjects if you can take their picture if you’re not sure if they’d feel comfortable with it - but always have the bravery to ask. You’re never going to get the perfect shot of a funny image without taking those shots in the first place.